Passion, Purpose, and Practical Wisdom
The Re-Imagining Medicine Fellowship (ReMed) offers Duke pre-health students an interactive summer program exploring the intersection of medicine, virtue, and moral purpose.
About
ReMed seeks to foster the character, imagination, and practices needed to work effectively in contexts of human suffering and healing. Leaders across disciplines – history, ethics, spirituality, and expressive writing, as well as doctors and other healthcare professionals – help students explore themes often absent in traditional medical education.
After an experiential immersive week at Duke in May, ReMed Fellows have virtual weekly meetings on Thursday evenings in June and July.
Fellows pair the ReMed program with a summer internship, employment, or service work related to health care.
Fellows receive a stipend of $1000.
ReMed is a program of The Purpose Project at Duke, the Kenan Institute for Ethics, and the Trent Center for Bioethics, Medical Humanities & History of Medicine. It is sponsored by a grant from The Duke Endowment.
Why Re-Imagine?
What does it mean to be a good doctor? What does the “do no harm” in the Hippocratic tradition mean—not in theory, but in practice? How do we ensure that healthcare is just, fair, humane, and equitable? How can we prepare to practice medicine with character, to develop a sense of meaning and purpose in our work, and to contribute to the betterment of society?
In this program, students are invited to imagine the ways that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals can use their specialized knowledge and skills with humility to care for individuals, cure and prevent disease and suffering, flourish in their chosen profession, and work toward the greater good. Fellows will join with each other and with doctors, other healthcare professionals, and faculty from other disciplines (e.g., history, ethics, the arts) to explore themes often absent in traditional pre-health and health education.
The Program
ReMed is not a stand-alone program. To enable critical reflection on lived experiences and practices, Fellows are required to pair their participation in ReMed with an internship, employment, or service work related to health or health care. Fellows must arrange this parallel experience on their own. It must be at least twenty hours a week for eight weeks, and it can include formal Duke civic engagement or research programs, with permission from the directors of those programs. Experiences that would fulfill this requirement include volunteer service in a health-related setting; paid employment in a hospital, clinic, public health agency, or health-related company or nonprofit; or engagement in clinical research. Applicants must specify their proposed summer experience at the time of application.
The ReMed program begins in mid-May. Fellows will gather in person at Duke from May 14–19, 2023 (the week following commencement).
This immersive week will feature shared meals and conversation, experiential learning at Duke Hospital, engagement with creative writing and the visual arts, and facilitated reflections on justice and equity in health care. Students who live on campus will work with Housing and Residence Life to extend their housing reservation. ReMed staff will support students in this application process and will cover the additional cost of meals and housing for that week.
The program then shifts to a virtual one. For eight weeks in June and July, ReMed Fellows and faculty will gather for weekly 90-minute seminars to reflect on their summer experiences and to engage in conversation with leading scholars and practitioners. These seminars will take place on Zoom from 4:30 pm–6:00 pm ET on Thursdays, June 1, 8, 15, 22 and July 6, 13, 20, and 27.
Fellows are also expected to journal about their experiences during the summer and to complete a creative project, with the support of faculty, that will be presented at the closing dinner and celebration in early Fall 2023.
ReMed Fellows are expected to participate fully in all components of the fellowship and to miss no more than one ReMed Seminar.
2023 ReMed Fellows
Kaden Bock
Kaden is a junior studying biomedical engineering and computer science. As a Pratt Research Fellow, he studies the dynamics of protein-unfolding events in the Marszalek Research lab. Over the summer, Kaden will be continuing his research in the Marszalek lab, assisting with the ODE Engineering Design camp for high school students, and studying for the MCAT. Kaden’s biggest goal for the ReMed program is to develop a greater sense of purpose within the medical field, as well as develop a new appreciation for aspects of medicine he had not really previously considered.
Maya Chandar
Maya Chandar is currently a rising sophomore double majoring in Neuroscience and Computer Science. She was born and raised in Florida, and has a strong interest developing applications for machine learning in healthcare. Through ReMed, she hopes to learn about the humanistic side of medicine, and gain a more nuanced knowledge of medical humanities.
Meera Gangasani
Meera Gangasani is a senior from Dallas, TX majoring in biology and minoring in creative writing and chemistry. She is interested in the complex care side of medicine and caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As an intern for the Autism Society of North Carolina and student researcher for the NC-PAL project, her goals this summer are to learn how to be a more empathetic in her approach towards caring for patients with complex care needs and examine key issues regarding healthcare disparities for people with disabilities. In her free time, she loves group fitness, stand-up comedy, staying updated on current events, and attempting to dance.
Morgan Hough
Morgan Hough is a rising senior from California majoring in Chemistry and Spanish. Working as the VP of Tutee Programming with GANO, a student-run volunteer program at Duke University, she helps facilitate free English as a second language tutoring to Hispanic adults in Durham, NC. Her dream is to become a Spanish-speaking doctor so she can bridge the language barrier between medicine and her Hispanic community. She hopes that engaging with medical humanities, arts, ethics, and history through ReMed will allow her to further her interest in how doctors can create more integrative and multi-faceted approaches to healthcare treatment.
Madiha Khan
Madiha Khan is a Biology and Global health double major from Kolkata, India. She aspires to advocate for accessible and affordable public health care and help contribute to research into developing medical technologies that can cure diseases. Through the ReImagining Medicine Summer Fellowship, she wants to gain experience to better serve vulnerable communities globally as a UN emergency physician and public health advocate.
Laila Khan-Farooqi
Laila Khan-Farooqi, a rising sophomore from Aspen, Colorado, is pursuing a major in biology and a minor in classical civilization. She has a passion for the health humanities and seeks to explore the interconnectedness of identity and medicine through lenses of gender, ethics, and culture. She hopes to learn more about how ethical practices govern our current medical system and where we can improve our implementation of these ideas in the clinic, the operating room, and beyond. Laila enjoys being outside, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and skiing.
Alex LaTrenta
Amitesh Verma is a rising junior from Cincinnati, OH studying Neuroscience and Music with the aspirations of becoming a physician. He is passionate about the intersection of music and healthcare with his previous involvements including the Language, Music, and Dementia Bass Connections Team where he studies the effect of musical training and multilingualism on dementia and cognitive impairment. Through ReMed, he hopes to further cultivate these interests through assisting with creative care sessions for adults with dementia through the Durham Center for Senior Life. In his free time, Amitesh enjoys playing jazz piano, watching and reviewing movies, and playing ping pong.
Matthew Lee
Matthew Lee is a rising junior studying BME/ECE on the premed track. He was born in South Korea and currently lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He is excited to gain exposure in medical humanities through ReMed because he feels that he doesn’t get to engage with humanities that much altogether as an engineer. He will be in Madison, Wisconsin over the summer.
Christina Lewis
Christina Lewis is a rising senior from Charleston, SC, majoring in Religious Studies and minoring in Biology and Chemistry. At Duke, she is involved in researching trauma-informed education. In her free time, she loves to write, paint, and spend time outdoors. This summer, she will be working as a nurse aide. She hopes to eventually have a career as a psychiatric or women’s health clinician.
Luxuan Li
Luxuan Li is a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience. She is currently researching chronic pain and itch under the department of neurology. She is passionate about the intersection between health policy, health communication and inequalities. She loves dancing and hiking, and strives to pet as many puppies as possible.
Anika Pawlak
Anika is a rising senior from Milwaukee, WI studying a Program II major titled "Reimagining the Aging, Dying, and End-of-Life Care Experience." She plans to pursue an osteopathic medical degree in geriatrics or palliative/hospice care after graduating from Duke, with the hopes of creating a more positive aging and dying journey for all. This summer, Anika will be interning with Capri Communities, an assisted living conglomerate, with concentrations in life enrichment and active aging. Outside of school, you can find Anika in the mosh pit at a rock and roll concert, lifting weights in the gym, spending time with friends and family, or discovering a new restaurant!
Sriya Dhupati
Sriya is a rising senior from Davidson, NC, majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Chemistry and Music. She is deeply interested in the intersection of healthcare and the arts, and believes in the power of combining scientific knowledge with creative expression to promote well-being. By engaging in research on global mental health this summer, Sriya aims to work towards creating lasting worldwide change. Sriya looks forward to learning and further exploring the intersection between medicine and the humanities this summer.
Will Lieber
Will Lieber is a sophomore Linguistics student interested in pursuing a prison studies certificate. He is interested in carceral healthcare, rural healthcare, and health literacy within his broader interests in studying language. During ReMed, he hopes to continue to use his humanities background to enrich his understanding of medicine. He is also very excited to shadow medical interpreters.
Chioma Danielle Okotcha
Chioma Danielle Okotcha is a rising Sophomore currently planning on majoring in Neuroscience and Music and pursuing a minor in computer science. She has spent equal thirds of her life in the U.K., Washington, and Maryland. Some of her non-academic interests include playing the sax and piano, crocheting, and various forms of writing. She is most excited to delve deeper into the various behind the scenes components that make up healthcare. This summer she plans to work as a direct support professional, OBGYN intern, and hospital volunteer (and perhaps get her CNA/EMT license!).
Blake Perdikis
Blake Perdikis is an English major who is pursuing a certificate in ethics while on the pre-health track. During his time at Duke, he has loved exploring the intersection between these three fields and learning about how the humanities informs medicine and vice versa. For this summer, he cannot wait to engage with the powerful, cross-sectional experiences offered by ReMed—shadowing, talks, etc.—and hopefully dispatch the skills he learns towards a project investigating the standard of care in emergency medicine in rural Tennessee.
Sabrina Sebastian-San Miguel
Sabrina Sebastian-San Miguel is a rising senior Cultural Anthropology major from Warrenton, VA, who enjoys reading, sunny walks around campus, and trying new coffee spots. This summer, she is working on her senior thesis research at the intersection of chronic illness & disability narratives, visual media, technology, and medicine, and aspires to become an endocrinologist.
Sophia Sparrow
Sophia is a rising senior from Atlanta, GA who is pursuing a degree in Neuroscience (BS) with minors in chemistry and psychology. Her current research interests focus on raising transparency on the health disparities among incarcerated populations to promote justice and equity within the criminal legal system. Through ReMed, she is excited to learn more about how alternative medicine can uphold the ethical responsibilities of healthcare, especially in its relation to improving the health outcomes of the socially disadvantaged. Following the immersive week, Sophia will be working as an EMT to serve her community and gain direct experience in patient care.
Amitesh Verma
Amitesh Verma is a rising junior from Cincinnati, OH studying Neuroscience and Music with the aspirations of becoming a physician. He is passionate about the intersection of music and healthcare with his previous involvements including the Language, Music, and Dementia Bass Connections Team where he studies the effect of musical training and multilingualism on dementia and cognitive impairment. Through ReMed, he hopes to further cultivate these interests through assisting with creative care sessions for adults with dementia through the Durham Center for Senior Life. In his free time, Amitesh enjoys playing jazz piano, watching and reviewing movies, and playing ping pong.
Sophie Wu
Sophie Wu is a 3rd year student at Duke University originally from Seattle, WA. She is studying biomedical engineering and computer science on the pre-health track with a minor in chemistry. This summer, she will be in Germany conducting machine learning research into protein design as a DAAD-RISE Intern. She hopes to travel across Europe when she can! Additionally, in her free time, she likes to read and listen to music. She is incredibly excited to meet new people and gain a new perspective of healthcare through the ReMed program this summer.
2021 ReMed Fellows
Beles Abebe
Connor Blue
Danielle Kapustin
David Moon
Ethan Bott
Evan Liu
Gianni Lacey-Howard
Ishaan Kumar
Jack Mulcrone
Jenny Liu
Kristin Ankoma-Sey
Melody Gao
Michael Larbie
Olivia Santos
Rebecca He
Saagar Jain
Sreya Rahman
Stephanie Green
Past ReMed Fellows
Caroline Anderson, a junior Biology major (concentrating in Genomics, with a certificate in Science & Society) is from Jacksonville, FL. She is in Navy ROTC, researches Salmonella in the Ko lab, and is working on her master scuba diver certification this summer.
Sydney Aquilina is a senior from Leesburg, VA, majoring in Philosophy with Minors in Global Health and Chemistry. She loves Jesus, dancing, hiking, playing the oboe, and her research on childhood trauma.
Max Beck is a senior from Wilmington, DE, pursing an interdepartmental major in cultural anthropology and neuroscience. Outside the classroom, he loves surfing, trying new restaurants in Durham, and relaxing in Duke Gardens.
Janelle Carmichael is a senior from Atlanta, GA, majoring in Psychology with a Neuroscience minor. Her interests include music, dance, and volunteering in Durham. She hopes to become a neurologist.
RaKavius Chambers, a senior Biology major minoring in Chemistry is from Opelika, AL. He loves to cook (despite mixed results), enjoys researching fungi in the Vilgalys lab, and plans to become the nation’s top cardio-thoracic surgeon.
Sean Cho, a senior biology major from Pleasanton, CA, loves seeing new places and the quesadillas at Sazón, conducts stem cell research, and is interested in a career in orthopaedics.
Bree Collins, a senior Visual Arts major from Cleveland, OH, loves sunny days, reading, and painting; researches biosynthetic pathways in tomato at the Sun Lab; and is working toward a career as an OB/GYN.
Maleah Densby is a junior pre-med Sociology major with minors in Chemistry and Japanese. She grew up in San Francisco, CA. She loves to knit, watch Netflix and read comics. She’s a Cardea Fellow, and a member of Nakisai and Future Is Now.
Karan Desai, a junior studyng Neuroscience and Computer Science, is from Columbus, OH. He is passionate about mental health, Christopher Nolan films, and mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Dakota Douglas is a junior studying biology and global health, from Indian Trail, NC. She dreams to attain her MD/PhD. She spends her free time painting, playing trumpet, reading, and explaining that Indian Trail is 30 minutes from Charlotte.
Maddie Fowler is a senior Program II major in Disability Studies and Ethical Mental Health Care from Chapel Hill, NC, who loves hiking and playing the piccolo during Duke basketball games, and hopes to become a doctor to advocate for disability justice in the medical field.
Margaret Gaw, a junior English major, is from Nashville, TN. She is part of the Bass Connections team studying women-inspired strategies for health empowering prevention of cervical cancer, and she loves hiking, reading, and rapping to the musical Hamilton.
Julie Hwang, senior from Seoul, South Korea, is pursuing an interdepartmental major titled “Visual Media in Narrative Medicine.” She is fascinated by the wonders of photography, finds joy in spending time with children, and hopes for a career in pediatrics.
Arthi Kozhumam is a senior Global Health and Biology major from Austin, TX, working towards a career as a physician and global health researcher. You’ll find her conducting research with DGHI and the School of Nursing, or playing percussion in Duke Cancer Center.
Margaret Lim is a junior Biology major from Ringgold, GA. She researches in the Purves Urinary Dysfunction lab, loves playing violin and piano, and enjoys solving crossword puzzles.
Sydny Long, a senior Psychology major from Fort Mill, SC, researches perspective-taking in kids and expressive writing, loves restoring vintage toys, and wants to become a pediatric oncologist.
Rebecca Melaku, from Indian Trail, NC, is a junior Biology/Global Health double-major with a Chemistry minor. She enjoys painting, reading, and exploring new places. Rebecca’s coolest Duke experience was researching hydrogen fuel technology (and secretly developing rocket fuel for an outer space venture).
Mihir Patel is a senior from Indianapolis, IN. He is majoring in biology and aspires to become an oncologist. Currently, he does hospice app development research and cancer biology research. For fun, he enjoys watching sports and graphic design.
Fabiana Peña Medina, a junior from Orange County, CA, is majoring in Evolutionary Anthropology and minoring in Spanish and Chemistry. She loves to read and go on runs, helps with ecotoxicology research at the DiGiulio Lab, and plans to take a gap year before attending medical school.
Maria Pita, a senior Cultural Anthropology major born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Miami, FL, lover of books and beer, researches the effects of medical discrimination on pursuance of breast cancer follow-up care, and aspires to a career in medicine.
Natalie Rincon, a junior from Tampa, Florida, is a Neuroscience major who dabbles in linguistics and music. She is energized by singing and laughing with others, is happiest under the sun, and is interested in addressing healthcare disparities.
Jein Eleanor Seo, from Detroit, MI, is a junior studying biology and global health. She loves cold brew coffee, the outdoors, and her Bass Connections research in global neurosurgical outcomes.
Clarke Shead is a junior from St. Louis, MO, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Chemistry and African and African American Studies. She is interested in studying health disparities affecting minority communities. In her free time, she enjoys sharing laughs over new foods with friends and playing piano.
Katie Waeldner, a senior majoring in Cultural Anthropology from Yarmouth, ME, loves spending time outside with friends. She hopes to address public health, particularly the health disparities driven by malnutrition and food insecurity, through a career in medicine.
Peter Wang is a senior biology major and chemistry minor from Boston, MA. He loves music and plays the piano and violin, and is also a big football and basketball fan. He thinks cats are truly the best.
Jack Welsby, a junior Biology major with a concentration in Biochemistry and minors in Chemistry and Music, is from Chapel Hill, NC. Jack enjoys playing soccer, performing with the Duke symphony, and tinkering with bikes.
Sree Yellanki is a junior Psychology major from Newark, DE, who enjoys eating, traveling, and playing tennis and basketball.
Danah Younis, a junior from Miami, FL, majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Arabic Language, is passionate about her work with the Kenan Refugee Project, loves Arabic and Spanish music, and is interested in refugee and immigrant healthcare.
Esther Zhang is a junior from Basking Ridge, NJ, majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology. She loves playing the guitar and ukulele, has a dog named Teddy, and researches vision in the Field Lab.
Alice Zhou, a junior majoring in biology (with history and sociology minors) is from Singapore (although her hometown is Lake Forest, IL). She is passionate about flute, dance and all things food related and hopes to attend medical school after graduating from Duke.
2020
Contact Information
Warren Kinghorn
Esther Colliflower Associate Research Professor of Pastoral and Moral Theology
Co-Director, Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center
warren.kinghorn@duke.edu